Members are now able to change their display name to something different from their username. This display name is the name by which other players will see you in all Jagex games and across all website features - from the hiscores to the forums. Your username will always remain the same, regardless of what you change your display name to, as this is what you use to log into the game and website. (NB: Everyone's initial display name is the same as their username.)
Changing your display name
The ability to change display names is currently only available to members of either RuneScape or FunOrb. To change your display name, visit the Account Management section of RuneScape or FunOrb and select 'Change your display name'. You can then change your display name to anything that is not currently in use by or 'held' for (see next paragraph) another player. (NB: Once you have changed your display name, you will be unable to do so again for 28 days, even to revert back to your previous display name, so make sure you are happy with your new name before confirming the change.)
After these 28 days, you will have a period of time in which you can revert back to your previous display name, should you wish. You will have at least 7 days after the 28 days to revert to your previous display name, as it will be 'held' for you and unavailable to anyone else in this time. Depending on how long that name was in your possession before you changed it, you may have more than 7 days to revert to your reserved name.
When you change your display name, an icon will appear next to it on your friends' Friends Lists. This will inform your friends that you have just changed your name and, by hovering their mouse cursor over that icon, they will see what your previous display name was. It will take a while (up to 15 minutes) for your display name to be updated across the website, so your previous display name may still show on the hiscores or forums for this short time.
Offensive display names
Display names allow us to remove names we deem offensive. Previously, we were only able to ban accounts with offensive names; now, we will simply remove the offensive name from the account. Should this happen, you will receive a temporary display name in the form of a random string of numbers (such as "[#123456789]"), and you will not be able to log into the game until you choose a new name. Players who repeatedly choose offensive names will lose the privilege of being able to change their display name for one year, and will instead be assigned one by a Jagex moderator.
Finally, please be patient with the system at this time, as it will be under a lot of load by many players trying to access it. If you do not get a response, please try again at a later time.
Mod Duncan
Web Systems Developer
- Newsmaster
